Five reasons to be excited about solar energy

There have been many changes in the Hawaii solar industry in the last few months. Here are five things Haleakala Solar thinks would be helpful for you to know:

1. Tax credits are still available.

Tax credits for solar energy related systems such as solar hot water, photovoltaic (PV), and home batteries are still in effect — 30 percent for federal and up to 35 percent for Hawaii.

2. Solar hot water is the No. 1 bang for your buck.

This is usually the company’s first recommendation. Hot water heaters are energy hogs. Switching to a solar hot water system can definitely reduce your electric bill. With state and federal tax credits, you can save roughly 65 percent on the system purchase price in the first year. Payoff of the system generally happens within three years.

3. Rebates.

There’s a bunch of rebates out there. Hawaii Energy provides a $500 rebate for new solar water heaters. It also provides a $100 rebate to tune-up an existing heater. Halekala Solar can help make sure you are taking advantage of the ones you qualify for.

4. I got approved for NEM. Can I still install a PV system?

If you got approved for Net Energy Metering (NEM) but did not install a PV system, you still may be able to get one installed and reap the benefits. Every situation is different. Contact the company and the staff will help to figure out your situation.

5. You can still get PV even without NEM approval.

Even without NEM approval, it is still possible to install a photovoltaic system. The way to do it may or may not involve an energy storage system (batteries). If you have approval for NEM, you may not need batteries. If you don’t have NEM approval, then most likely you will need to incorporate batteries.